Talk:All About : Kristoff/@comment-108.39.98.157-20171008174900
I feel like this video is largely an argument by omission. You make points about what you think a good movie should have, and point out how it's done in other movies, then simply state that Frozen doesn't do it. However, I think Frozen hits all the points that you say it doesn't. Point 1: Frozen lacks interesting art direction, rehashing that of old disney films. Frozen's art direction has an emphasis on fine detail, fractals, and geometry, and contrasts that with gross asymmetry or austerity. Note how when Elsa is in control of her magic she creates brilliantly crystalline structures like her snow fortress which are reminiscent of the beauty of a snowflake. But if she loses control, her ice more closely resembles the bulging asymmetry of a snowflake. This extends to other details like Anna's skirt in the early part of the movie, which is full of elaborate stitching and pleats. You point out the distinct cultural roots of the art in films such as Mulan and Aladdin, but I feel it's important to point out that Norway (where Frozen lays dow its roots) had a strong artistic heritage of realism, especially in terms of landscapes. Unfortunately, the influence of realism is difficult to convey in a cartoon, so they fall back more on elaborate european embroidery and molding. Point 2: Frozen lacks witty dialogue. You cop out a bit here by showing Hades and Genie, who were both meant to be witty, and compare them to the plucky comic relief of Olaf. A more apt comparison would be Olaf compared to Iago ("I'm so ticked off that I'm molting.") or Phil ("I'm way behind ya, kid. I got a fur wedgie."). I'll admit that wit is a lesser used device in Frozen, but it's also a more dramatic story than most, focusing largely on internal character struggles rather than external ones, so witty dialogue might detract more from the tone than the occasional slapstick and visual humor of Olaf or Sven. Note that Mulan didn't have a as much wit, either. Point 3: Trope Spam Earlier in the review you note that tropes themselves can't be taken out of context, yet you proceed to pull a bunch of tropes about the film out of context and state that because the movie possesses them it's simply a strict adherence to form. That said, all of these tropes make sense in context. The presence of the tropes is meant to set up the framework of a fairy tale and tease the audience's expectations. If, for example, Anna was quite homely, we might have a different expectation with regards to the finale and "True Love's Kiss." The theme that Love Conquers All is reexamined with regards to sisterly love, which is interesting in and of itself. Point 4: Frozen lacks a theme. You state that Frozen lacks a cohesive theme, but I feel like its themes are pretty evident. If the movie seems to lack a theme, that's only because it's simultaneously walking two very different character arcs. The two themes of the movie are openness and understanding of love, each playing out for a different heroine. Elsa's openness problems stem from the hiding of her personal struggles, and open/closed doors are used throughout to represent her relationship with Anna as well as her power over her emotions. At first she is under control because she shut everything in, but the slightest opening in her defenses causing a flood of pent up emotions to come out. She thinks she can run from her problems, but eventually she finds that even in her fortress of solitude, she can't escape her problems. Note that her fortress has massive gates, as well, and that opening those gates leads to just as big of problems as opening the gates to the castle did! Anna's story is more about misunderstanding love. Hans is quite obviously an example of how love can be misunderstood because of deception, but even Kristoff represents a misunderstanding of love because true love takes TIME. With this in mind, the correct action for Anna at the end is not to be with no man, but to give Kristoff more time before jumping in too deep (which is what it seems like she's doing). Olaf exists as a direct embodiment of Anna and Elsa's closeness as children. He's a remnant of when Elsa was more open with Anna, and is proof that their love for each other has withstood the test of time. Not that he's created at the moment when Elsa is finally opening up to herself in "Let it Go." With that in mind, he bridges the gap between Elsa and Anna's themes. Point 5: Frozen's musical style is bland and doesn't reflect the characters. I feel like this entire section falls victim to the "pop is bad because it's pop" fallacy, but regardless...Frozen's music has quite a bit of character in it. Anna's numbers are faster paced and pop-y, fitting with her manic nature. "Love is an Open Door" sounds like a saccharine sweet tune from highschool musical precisely to reflect the naïveté of the whole Hans romance. Likewise, "Let it Go" is a brooding Power Ballad, befitting the more dour Elsa. The choice of a more conventional style is at once artistically clever and pragmatic. Difficult pieces like one might find in Sweeney Todd just aren't right for the all-ages audience of a Disney flick, and the conventional sound reinforces the expectations about the movie being a "standard Disney princess film." That said, I found your analysis very interesting, and it made me think more about the film. Naturally, if you didn't like the film, that's your opinion. However, I feel like there's a lot more going on than you give it credit for.﻿